Saint Porphyrios Traveled Back in Time

1. Experiencing the Events at Jacob's Well

I remember one of his last Divine Liturgies (before he even went blind).

It was the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman and he came out to read the Holy Gospel (John, Chapter 4 verses 5-42). His face was shining and his voice had changed.

The way he recited the Gospel passage, which was also extensive, made a great impression on the entire congregation. It had touched us all. The Saint seemed to have no contact with the present and leaned on the pillar of the Beautiful Gate so as not to fall.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy we approached him and said to him “Elder, what a beautiful Gospel that was today!”

"Never A Woman Priest. Never!" (Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyva)

One night when I happened to take Elder Porphyrios to Tourkovounia, we sat outside his house until late and he talked to me about various spiritual topics, some of which I understood and others not.

I remember him telling me that we should tell everything in confession and not to just anyone, but only to the priest who is a spiritual father.

He then told me the following:

“A woman was talking to someone else about confession. She revealed to her that she doesn’t go to a priest, but to a woman who gathers many women and confesses them. As soon as I heard this, I said to her:

'Hey, bring her here, so we can save her.'

Elder Ambrose Lazaris Became Invisible

 

When the late Prime Minister of Greece Andreas Papandreou was hospitalized at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Athens for serious health problems in late 1995 and early 1996, his wife, Dimitra Liani-Papandreou, called Elder Ambrose Lazaris of Dadiou Monastery to have him hear his confession.

Eldress Parthenia, Abbess of the Dadiou Monastery, did not want to let him go, because she was afraid he would be televised; she preferred the Elder to be obscure and humble.

However, he, who was both sure of himself and interested in the salvation of every soul, decided otherwise.

"Parthenia, I will pass in front of everyone and all the cameras, but no one will record me," he told her.

And so it happened.

"The Clarinets Can Be Heard All The Way Here!" (Elder Ambrose Lazaris)

Another time, Elder Ambrose Lazaris said to one of his spiritual children:

"Sit in your room on your knees, raise your hands and head high and pray. Christ will help you. And say something like 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on your servant Ambrose' on my behalf. Pray from half past ten to eleven at night, because at this time I will also pray for you, and so will Saint Nektarios."

The man was delighted, agreed and left.

He began to do as the Elder had told him. One evening, however, when he was in a good mood, he put on and listened to folk songs on the cassette player.

He had the volume turned up loud, he enjoyed it and sang along himself.

The Venerable Elders Paisius Olaru and Cleopa Ilie of Sihastria: Luminous Pillars of Romanian Monasticism

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church marked the local proclamation of the canonization of Saints Paisius Olaru and Cleopa Ilie on Thursday, August 7th 2025, with a deeply spiritual tribute, calling them “two pillars of light between the mountains and heaven.”

In a pastoral message occasioned by the celebrations at Sihăstria Monastery, the Patriarch of Romania highlighted the ascetic lives, spiritual authority, and enduring influence of the two hesychast elders, emphasising their role as confessors of the faith during the communist persecution and as guiding lights in the Orthodox tradition.

Please find below the full text of Patriarch Daniel’s message for the local proclamation of the canonization of Saints Paisius and Cleopa of Sihăstria, who are commemorated togather annually on December 2nd.